Facebook Wedding Pictures Bust Bigamist Red-Handed

A recent report suggest as many as 1 in every 5 divorces can be directly related to Facebook. Why? Because it's the perfect place to re-ignite old relationships, but also because many users are unaware of what data will be shared to the public when it comes to maximizing their privacy settings on Facebook.

That was the downfall of one Grand Rapids, Michigan man, whose recent marriage collapsed when his new wife found out that he was already married.

In July, 34-year-old Richard Barton Jr. got married. It was a special moment in his life, and to celebrate he posted pictures of the wedding on Facebook. That's not particularly unusual at all, but what is a little out-of-line was the fact that Barton hadn't yet told -- or divorced -- his first wife.

Defriending Offends First Wife

Adina Quarto married Barton in 2004 but since that time the couple had become estranged.

Their relationship reached a new low last year, when Barton "defriended" Quarto on Facebook. Almost certainly this was an attempt by Barton to prevent Quarto from seeing pictures of his new wife, but unfortunately defriending does not block access to every photo -- particularly if one is not careful with their privacy settings. (Source: tgdaily.com)

Wife Not Mad About Second Marriage

Angry with the defriending and furious with the bigamy, Quarto contacted police desperately trying to figure out what to do about Barton. Surprisingly, she wasn't all that mad about the marriage -- just the fact that he went about it in the wrong way.

"I didn't think he deserved to get away with it," Barton told the Michigan media. "I'm not a bitter person and I'm not trying to destroy the guy. If he wants to start a new life, more power to him, but he got married when he shouldn't have gotten married." (Source: pcmag.com)

Bigamist Faces Prison Term, Hefty Fine

Being found guilty of polygamy carries a stiff penalty: 4 years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000. Of course, things could be worse for Barton, who has been convicted of minor offenses before.

Barton hasn't said much, but did tell the media that he "let love get in the way" after being released from jail on bond.